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Picking your way carefully among the tumbled and occasionally unsteady rocks you are always able to find another rock to step to. Only twice do you have to leap to the next rock. An unexpected stinging slap nearly tumbles you into the water, but you nimbly shuffle over a few rocks, and manage to be missed by the rest of the fish following the first that nearly leaped into you. Steadying yourself, you pause to gather your balance, and carefully set out again. Only to stretch your length in the water as the stone you picked proves to have been precariously balanced on another rock under the water. Fortunately, the water is shallow enough to scramble back onto a narrow rocky stretch without more than a few scrapes. You make it to the other side and gratefully clamber up the far bank without further incident. The breeze is foiled in its attempt to chill you by the warm sun.

The game path continues on at an angle into the trees and brush thickly clustered about the river.

The trail meanders towards and away from the river, much as the river wanders back and forth. The land seems to be flattening out, with only the occasional hill. The river swings widely, and finally comes to a series of large wide, loops of still water, the last of which contains a large hill of stone. With a start, you realize that it is not a hill... but a house. A large, very large stone house, carved from the hill itself.

You follow the path through some copses of trees, and approach the river again. The stone house-hill looms before you. The animal path turns sharply and plunges back into the overgrowth. There are rows of shadowed nooks, too regular to be anything but windows. Before you the river is wide and still, there is nowhere to cross. Over where the river curves back around the hill, you can see some sort of structure jutting out, partially obscured by the shoulder of the hill itself, and what might be the beginnings of a path proper, or even a road.

What time of day is it?
-If it's still early afternoon, I'll try to find a good place to observe for a while. See what I can find out before meeting the Horntusks.
-Otherwise, I'll go towards the 'house'. Trying to get to the road before I get to the house.

Gazing across the river, you realize that the far bank is higher than the near bank, something that was disguised by both distance and the house-hill. The brush and grasses on the bank somewhat disguise the low rolling hills in the distance beyond... at least until one of them moves. What it is exactly is indistinct, blurred by the intervening plants and the mid-afternoon haze. Faintly you hear the same sound as before, booming. The thought crosses your mind that some elevation would give you a clear view, but would also give anyone looking out of the house-hill windows a clear view of you as well. You set the thought aside momentarily.

There is a small copse of trees providing some shade midway between where the animal trail turns away, and the structure beyond the hill's shoulder. It looks to have a fine view of both the structure and the path or road beyond it. That structure looks to be your best bet for when you want to approach, as the river lies between you and the house-hill.

You begin making your way along the animal path towards the structure, keeping an eye out towards your surroundings. The warmth of the sun mingles sleepily with the droning of insects and the murmur of the river.

As you work your way forward, the structure ahead comes more into view. Passing the last copse of shady trees, and some bushes, it finally is clear. A natural outcropping of rock has been turned into a barbican of sorts, complete with crenels and merlons, and what appear to be arrow loops. A short distance away from you through the grasses, a path exits the gate and turns to follow the river away from you. The gate in question is open, allowing free travel. No one is currently visible.